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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
i read this entire sequel while on the 3hr plane ride to boston and it was a sequel that held up to the first!! the love triangle i hated in the first one was resolved so swiftly and cleanly that i was more confused about why it was even added to begin with. it was fun!!!
Not this book making me HELLA emotional during the epilogue !!
AGH this was seriously so so so so SO good. I'm Big Sad having to leave this world and characters behind but this had the Perfect ** ending.
ReviewToComeSoon <3
AGH this was seriously so so so so SO good. I'm Big Sad having to leave this world and characters behind but this had the Perfect ** ending.
ReviewToComeSoon <3
adventurous
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
What a fantastic conclusion to a wonderful story. I absolutely adored this. The character development was so good and I LOVED the romance. I also love Res and wish he was my own magical crow.
I highly recommend this duology. It was fun. It was hard to read at times. It hit me right in the feels. Gah. Perfection.
I highly recommend this duology. It was fun. It was hard to read at times. It hit me right in the feels. Gah. Perfection.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
The Storm Crow | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | REVIEW
The Crow Rider | ⭐⭐⭐
Oh, it’s so hard to review this book. On the one hand, I’m really sad I’m done with this duology and I just want more more more because this world is truly interesting. On the other hand, this 2nd installment wasn’t exactly what I was hoping to get either and disappointed on some points as well.
Let me start with pointing out some things that I wasn’t overly excited about;
- I think the presence/focus on feminism is a bit overly done in this one. I loved it in book 1, that there were so many strong female characters present whom could kick ass all in their own unique ways, but it was like the male characters (the ones that were present, which already weren’t much) didn’t even get any say in anything aside from Ericen sometimes which was quite unbelievable (a king and queen in which the king never puts any say in matters of war and in which the queen is deciding everything when their country has always stayed on the neutral side of things and now she’s deciding on her own that they’re maybe going to get involved in this ‘war’…strange development). It was just a bit too much in my opinion. In comparison I’d say that it’s 80% female characters that are present and ‘active’ and 20% male character of whom most of them barely get any focus and are definitely mellowed out a bit (some exceptions tho). I would’ve loved it more if the equations would’ve been a bit better divided.
- A huge part of this book felt repetitive, when looking at how it’s all set up. Instead of there being More depth and expansion story-wise, the author remained focusing most on what she also focused on in book 1. After book 1 I was really hoping to get more of the crows and the magic system in this world, which you do get so don’t get me wrong, but in the end it still remained a bit too superficial for my taste - I just wanted More I guess haha. I’m greedy. There’s still a lot of focus on the mental dealings of the characters which I really liked in book 1 for example, but it also held back the story-line development a bit in this one I think. The author’s writing revolving the mental side of the characters is in base really really good, but most of the characters we come across is struggling with something and instead of pointing all that out, I thought it could’ve been divided a bit more and that she maybe could’ve combined it with more background and in-depth development regarding this world, it’s world building and the fantasy/magic systems.
One of the things that I thought developed really positively and that I was initially afraid of that I had to put in the somewhat more disappointing list above, wasthe Romance. Because at first, I was really bummed out how the romance element was being handled in the first part of this book because it wasn’t really believable, even unnecessary maybe and I couldn’t understand why it was being developed this way (better said: forced upon us) with how things went in book 1; seeing there wasn’t any focus much on the romance between Ericen and Thia back then and now all suddenly there was… BUT. When we passed the 50% mark of the book and got to the 2nd part leading up towards the end, and when Ericen and Thia got way more scenes/moments together, I have to say though that the romance really grew on me and that the development got good and believable, which wasn’t something I thought could happen anymore, so I was really really glad with that improvement - my inner fangirl craves romance haha.
More +++ sides of this book:
- Ericen. I was so happy he was more present this time around because he’s such a fantastic addition to this set of characters. He made for the most hilarious and swoon worthy dialogues. His hate/love relationship with Thia’s friend Kiva was hilarious, but also his bond to Res was also magnificently written down I think; the way he interacts with Res and how he, Thia and Res eventually form this cute little family together. Loved it.
- Res. Where to start? This magical crow has really gotten to me and swooped me off of my feet right from the start when we met him in book 1, but his development got only better over time. Despite my insaaaaane fear of heights I’d definitely wouldn’t mind taking a flight with him. He’s truly magnificent! He’s one of my favorite characters - yes I know he’s a magical animal and maybe not a ‘real’ character but who cares? Lol - if not The most favorite one.
- Thia’s character development. I love how the author wrote her development over time. We got to knew her in a time when she was depressed and I think the author did a marvelous job on writing about this and also how she gradually got out of it - whilst still being aware that it’s definitely not 100% okay yet. It feels so relatable and realistic and I’m truly in awe of this author’s writing.
- So that gets me to the The writing style. This author’s writing style had me hooked right from the start in book 1. It was sooo easy to get ‘lost’ inside this fictional world and being impressed with the writing in general because of what I said above as well about how she handles the mental part of Thia’s character development for example. And even though I had remarks on this book, every time I picked it up I flew through the pages so incredibly fast and was done with my chapters of the day (was buddy reading it) before I knew it. I’ll definitely be buying future releases by this author!
Conclusion
So, despite there being quite a few things I was struggling with from time to time, I truly can’t say that this wasn’t a fun read though. It was still super fast paced, engaging and the writing style is just really good. I really like some of the characters a lot and I when I closed this book when finished, I really wanted MORE of it which definitely isn’t a thing when you don’t like a book.
It’s just a lot of positive/less positive things that counteract each other which made this an OK read in general. Was I wishing that this duology either would’ve gotten more pages or that it would’ve gotten a third book? Hell Yes. I think that would’ve definitely given more awesomeness overall and more opportunity for the author to add more extended fight scenes, more insight in this world and the fantasy elements.
I definitely still recommend reading this duology, because this world was just super interesting, most of the characters were really interesting and their dialogues were always fun to read and then there’s Res of course, the Storm Crow. He was such a cute feathery and sassy fluffball and I think EVERYONE should get acquainted with this ‘overgrown chicken’ as they all call him, lol. I want a Res of my own, pretty please!
---
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The Crow Rider | ⭐⭐⭐
You only fail if you stop trying.
Never stop fighting.
Oh, it’s so hard to review this book. On the one hand, I’m really sad I’m done with this duology and I just want more more more because this world is truly interesting. On the other hand, this 2nd installment wasn’t exactly what I was hoping to get either and disappointed on some points as well.
Let me start with pointing out some things that I wasn’t overly excited about;
- I think the presence/focus on feminism is a bit overly done in this one. I loved it in book 1, that there were so many strong female characters present whom could kick ass all in their own unique ways, but it was like the male characters (the ones that were present, which already weren’t much) didn’t even get any say in anything aside from Ericen sometimes which was quite unbelievable (a king and queen in which the king never puts any say in matters of war and in which the queen is deciding everything when their country has always stayed on the neutral side of things and now she’s deciding on her own that they’re maybe going to get involved in this ‘war’…strange development). It was just a bit too much in my opinion. In comparison I’d say that it’s 80% female characters that are present and ‘active’ and 20% male character of whom most of them barely get any focus and are definitely mellowed out a bit (some exceptions tho). I would’ve loved it more if the equations would’ve been a bit better divided.
- A huge part of this book felt repetitive, when looking at how it’s all set up. Instead of there being More depth and expansion story-wise, the author remained focusing most on what she also focused on in book 1. After book 1 I was really hoping to get more of the crows and the magic system in this world, which you do get so don’t get me wrong, but in the end it still remained a bit too superficial for my taste - I just wanted More I guess haha. I’m greedy. There’s still a lot of focus on the mental dealings of the characters which I really liked in book 1 for example, but it also held back the story-line development a bit in this one I think. The author’s writing revolving the mental side of the characters is in base really really good, but most of the characters we come across is struggling with something and instead of pointing all that out, I thought it could’ve been divided a bit more and that she maybe could’ve combined it with more background and in-depth development regarding this world, it’s world building and the fantasy/magic systems.
”You’re at war. You’re forging an alliance against one of the greatest military mights this world has ever seen. You can’t scare it with a little rain and wind. Eventually, you and that crow are going to have to spill blood.”
One of the things that I thought developed really positively and that I was initially afraid of that I had to put in the somewhat more disappointing list above, wasthe Romance. Because at first, I was really bummed out how the romance element was being handled in the first part of this book because it wasn’t really believable, even unnecessary maybe and I couldn’t understand why it was being developed this way (better said: forced upon us) with how things went in book 1; seeing there wasn’t any focus much on the romance between Ericen and Thia back then and now all suddenly there was… BUT. When we passed the 50% mark of the book and got to the 2nd part leading up towards the end, and when Ericen and Thia got way more scenes/moments together, I have to say though that the romance really grew on me and that the development got good and believable, which wasn’t something I thought could happen anymore, so I was really really glad with that improvement - my inner fangirl craves romance haha.
I am more. More than this feeling of darkness. More than the urge to give up. More than my pain and my past.
More +++ sides of this book:
- Ericen. I was so happy he was more present this time around because he’s such a fantastic addition to this set of characters. He made for the most hilarious and swoon worthy dialogues. His hate/love relationship with Thia’s friend Kiva was hilarious, but also his bond to Res was also magnificently written down I think; the way he interacts with Res and how he, Thia and Res eventually form this cute little family together. Loved it.
- Res. Where to start? This magical crow has really gotten to me and swooped me off of my feet right from the start when we met him in book 1, but his development got only better over time. Despite my insaaaaane fear of heights I’d definitely wouldn’t mind taking a flight with him. He’s truly magnificent! He’s one of my favorite characters - yes I know he’s a magical animal and maybe not a ‘real’ character but who cares? Lol - if not The most favorite one.
- Thia’s character development. I love how the author wrote her development over time. We got to knew her in a time when she was depressed and I think the author did a marvelous job on writing about this and also how she gradually got out of it - whilst still being aware that it’s definitely not 100% okay yet. It feels so relatable and realistic and I’m truly in awe of this author’s writing.
- So that gets me to the The writing style. This author’s writing style had me hooked right from the start in book 1. It was sooo easy to get ‘lost’ inside this fictional world and being impressed with the writing in general because of what I said above as well about how she handles the mental part of Thia’s character development for example. And even though I had remarks on this book, every time I picked it up I flew through the pages so incredibly fast and was done with my chapters of the day (was buddy reading it) before I knew it. I’ll definitely be buying future releases by this author!
”Have you ever felt like no matter what you do, there’s no putting the pieces of yourself back together?” “Every day.” “It feels impossible,” he said. “Like trying to repair shattered glass.”
Conclusion
So, despite there being quite a few things I was struggling with from time to time, I truly can’t say that this wasn’t a fun read though. It was still super fast paced, engaging and the writing style is just really good. I really like some of the characters a lot and I when I closed this book when finished, I really wanted MORE of it which definitely isn’t a thing when you don’t like a book.
It’s just a lot of positive/less positive things that counteract each other which made this an OK read in general. Was I wishing that this duology either would’ve gotten more pages or that it would’ve gotten a third book? Hell Yes. I think that would’ve definitely given more awesomeness overall and more opportunity for the author to add more extended fight scenes, more insight in this world and the fantasy elements.
I definitely still recommend reading this duology, because this world was just super interesting, most of the characters were really interesting and their dialogues were always fun to read and then there’s Res of course, the Storm Crow. He was such a cute feathery and sassy fluffball and I think EVERYONE should get acquainted with this ‘overgrown chicken’ as they all call him, lol. I want a Res of my own, pretty please!
Res turned, leaning his head toward me. I placed a hand on his beak, and for a moment, there was only us. A girl, a crow, and the vastness of the empty sea. I gathered that feeling of serenity and tucked it away inside myself. Whatever came next, I wanted to remember this moment of peace.
---
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Okay so I had about a three month break between books and apparently that’s all that’s needed for me to forget the finer details of a book.😂 Despite there not really being a refresher course anywhere, I easier fell back into the comfort of the story.
And yet, the book didn’t feel entirely smooth to me. I can’t place an exact finger on it but the book felt like I hiccuped through most of it. Which is just to say it read awkwardly.
To address my review of the previous book- I can now confirm this does NOT have a love triangle, bless the saints. And it really WAS an enemy to lovers like I originally suspected. I rooted for Ericen the whole way and actually began to get a bit annoyed that we had to defend him so much over and over again.
The battle scenes were hard to keep up with for me personally. Even something as minor as in the beginning when we first meet with Malkin- because I missed the part where they weren’t on a roof anymore? But then they were on a roof. … I don’t know, maybe I misunderstood something but this is part of the hiccuping feeling I mentioned.
I found the power supply with Rea to be particularly confusing as it seemed like he was doing A LOT all of the time without rest but at the same time it talks about him depleting energy and needing to rest. And then of course there’s all the times he’s passed out from exhaustion in their chambers.
Like, when Res, Thia and Ericen are in the Forest/Sella portals(?) Res does a lot and he already did a lot in the distraction fight. I don’t know, I guess I just didn’t really understand the power supply. Was Res’s stronger because he controlled all 8 of the abilities? Was it because Thia was his rider? Or is it just an unexplained occurrence grouped into the lack of world building? 🤷🏻♀️ 🤷🏻♀️
Not a bad conclusion to the duology I just felt like the first book was stronger.
And yet, the book didn’t feel entirely smooth to me. I can’t place an exact finger on it but the book felt like I hiccuped through most of it. Which is just to say it read awkwardly.
To address my review of the previous book- I can now confirm this does NOT have a love triangle, bless the saints. And it really WAS an enemy to lovers like I originally suspected. I rooted for Ericen the whole way and actually began to get a bit annoyed that we had to defend him so much over and over again.
The battle scenes were hard to keep up with for me personally. Even something as minor as in the beginning when we first meet with Malkin- because I missed the part where they weren’t on a roof anymore? But then they were on a roof. … I don’t know, maybe I misunderstood something but this is part of the hiccuping feeling I mentioned.
I found the power supply with Rea to be particularly confusing as it seemed like he was doing A LOT all of the time without rest but at the same time it talks about him depleting energy and needing to rest. And then of course there’s all the times he’s passed out from exhaustion in their chambers.
Like, when Res, Thia and Ericen are in the Forest/Sella portals(?) Res does a lot and he already did a lot in the distraction fight. I don’t know, I guess I just didn’t really understand the power supply. Was Res’s stronger because he controlled all 8 of the abilities? Was it because Thia was his rider? Or is it just an unexplained occurrence grouped into the lack of world building? 🤷🏻♀️ 🤷🏻♀️
Not a bad conclusion to the duology I just felt like the first book was stronger.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Find this review and more on my blog at Worlds Unlike Our Own.
Thank you to the publisher, Sourcebooks Fire, and Edelweiss for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
After narrowly escaping Illucia, Thia, her storm crow Res, and her friends are seeking alliances with the other kingdoms in an effort to take down Queen Razel. With Res exhibiting a variety of powers not typical of Storm Crows, and Thia has to learn the extent of his abilities and train with him which will prove critical in the upcoming battles. Razel continues to relentlessly seek vengeance, but that’s not all – an old enemy, long dismissed as mere myth, has risen in the shadows and is working with Razel to destroy Rhodaire and Thia for their own reasons. Thia must now step up into a leadership role to save her country and people and win the alliances they desperately need to survive.
This book picks up immediately after The Storm Crow and I loved how easy it was to jump back into the story even after nearly a year. Thia’s character arc is wonderful as she is tested yet again, now in a political aspect, as the future of Rhodaire rests on her ability to negotiate an alliance with the other kingdoms, many of whom still bear a grudge against Rhodaire for not coming to their aid against Illucia in the past. We see this entire tale from Thia’s perspective which is not all bad, but I would have really loved some chapters from Ericen’s POV. His character has grown a lot from the first book and it would have been interesting to get inside his head for a while, considering the rather tough choices he had to make. And Res – Res is a whole character by himself honestly, and he is so adorable and hilariously dramatic. I really enjoyed the training sequences and especially how Thia comforts him when he is struggling to control his magic.
This world with its magical crows and rich history could have been used to much better effect if the story was longer. It did feel at times that there was a little too much plot crammed into the 350 odd pages of this book, from the trip back to Rhodaire, to the alliance negotiations in Trendell, to the actual battle. The Sellas and their history which makes them another enemy for Thia to face was a good touch overall, but they were introduced way too late for my taste and not explained nearly well enough. This book being the finale in a duology, I expected that the major portion of the world building was completed in the first book. And minor spoiler here – but if the Sellas are some kind of evil godly figures, why were they so easy to defeat? It felt like they were taken down far too easily during the final battle which made it much less of an epic fight than I expected (Res was amazing though!).
Overall though, the author does a fine job at wrapping up the story, no loose ends, with a satisfying conclusion – it was nice to see a happily ever after ending, something my recent reads haven’t had much of. As I mentioned in my review of the first book, this duology is a great choice for readers new to the fantasy genre, even if this installment is much more complex plot and magic-wise. The Storm Crow was an enjoyable read, a good choice if you’re in the mood for some binge reading, and I would definitely recommend it!
Thank you to the publisher, Sourcebooks Fire, and Edelweiss for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
After narrowly escaping Illucia, Thia, her storm crow Res, and her friends are seeking alliances with the other kingdoms in an effort to take down Queen Razel. With Res exhibiting a variety of powers not typical of Storm Crows, and Thia has to learn the extent of his abilities and train with him which will prove critical in the upcoming battles. Razel continues to relentlessly seek vengeance, but that’s not all – an old enemy, long dismissed as mere myth, has risen in the shadows and is working with Razel to destroy Rhodaire and Thia for their own reasons. Thia must now step up into a leadership role to save her country and people and win the alliances they desperately need to survive.
This book picks up immediately after The Storm Crow and I loved how easy it was to jump back into the story even after nearly a year. Thia’s character arc is wonderful as she is tested yet again, now in a political aspect, as the future of Rhodaire rests on her ability to negotiate an alliance with the other kingdoms, many of whom still bear a grudge against Rhodaire for not coming to their aid against Illucia in the past. We see this entire tale from Thia’s perspective which is not all bad, but I would have really loved some chapters from Ericen’s POV. His character has grown a lot from the first book and it would have been interesting to get inside his head for a while, considering the rather tough choices he had to make. And Res – Res is a whole character by himself honestly, and he is so adorable and hilariously dramatic. I really enjoyed the training sequences and especially how Thia comforts him when he is struggling to control his magic.
This world with its magical crows and rich history could have been used to much better effect if the story was longer. It did feel at times that there was a little too much plot crammed into the 350 odd pages of this book, from the trip back to Rhodaire, to the alliance negotiations in Trendell, to the actual battle. The Sellas and their history which makes them another enemy for Thia to face was a good touch overall, but they were introduced way too late for my taste and not explained nearly well enough. This book being the finale in a duology, I expected that the major portion of the world building was completed in the first book. And minor spoiler here – but if the Sellas are some kind of evil godly figures, why were they so easy to defeat? It felt like they were taken down far too easily during the final battle which made it much less of an epic fight than I expected (Res was amazing though!).
Overall though, the author does a fine job at wrapping up the story, no loose ends, with a satisfying conclusion – it was nice to see a happily ever after ending, something my recent reads haven’t had much of. As I mentioned in my review of the first book, this duology is a great choice for readers new to the fantasy genre, even if this installment is much more complex plot and magic-wise. The Storm Crow was an enjoyable read, a good choice if you’re in the mood for some binge reading, and I would definitely recommend it!